As it is with every year, the last stretch of 2024 has featured some last-minute highs. Earlier this year, TV audiences raved over the likes of Arcane, X-Men 97, andDan Da Dan,and have spent the weeks since their respective conclusions anticipating whats next. But in the here and now, weve got a pair of cartoons that are both well worth putting some time into as the year winds down. The first is Invincible Fight Girl,announced back in 2022 and whose just-wrapped first season started in October on Max/Adult Swim. The story sees a kid named Andy embark on a quest to become a legendary wrestler, which involves moving to a big city full of wrestlers and brushing shoulders with a number of ex-pros, couldve beens, and aspiring talent as she works to become the very best that no one ever was. If this sounds familiar, thats clearly intentional, as the show has shonen animeand My Hero Academiain particularfully embedded in its DNA. Whether youre a diehardMy Herofan or only know of it through reputation, you will likely see shades of Dekus story in this show, either through its music or watching Andy leave her island home of accountants to become a pupil of her now-retired childhood wrestling idol Quesa Poblana. Adult Swim/Max But much like how it was fun seeing the world of superheroes through Dekus eyes, the same is true of Andy and her world. Invincible Fight Girlloves wrestling to a degree that it cant help but be infectious and charming as Andy and her friendsCraig, an opportunistic hustler, and theverybuff eight-year-old aspiring journalist Mikeyshow how the world has been shaped by wrestling as the dominant culture, and provide some interesting nuance into what that looks like for all walks of life. Creator Juston Gordon-Montgomerys affection for the sport comes through at all times, whether its the variety of (very good) stage names each character has, or how outdoor matches begin with satellites airdropping wrestling rings from space. Wrestling and boxing have provided the biggest, most theatrical stages for sports stories to play out, and Invincible Fight Girlfound a sweet spot blending wrestlings theatricality with the melodramatics typically found in shonen stories and their famous tournament arcs. Theres a similarly successful fusion of teen melodrama and the supernatural in Echo Wus Netflix series, Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld.Like withInvincible Fight Girl,itll sound like youve heard this one before: the titular Jentry has just turned 16 as the show starts and finds herself reawakening fire powers she previously repressed, and shes forced into heroism when her great-aunt Gugu brings Jentry back to her childhood home to protect her from a murderous demon. The shadow of Buffy the Vampire Slayerhas loomed large over supernatural TV for years, andJentryhits many familiar beats. Love triangles, elders who arent what they seem, youve seen this plenty of times before.What ultimately makesJentrywork is in how confidently it carries itself; its opening is a flashy K-pop track that makes clear it wants the audience to have a good time as Jentry and her friends go through one harrowing situation after the other. Said situations often escalate to the point of supernatural chaos, and that Jentrys more upfront with its horror from the outset rather than building to it over time is a pleasant surprise. At times, its playful (but still a bit messed-up) scares feel reminiscent of Adventure Timeor even Billy & Mandy,particularly when the fights kick in or the supernatural elements are being used to inform the very good cast of characters, like Gugu and Jentrys two love interests, her childhood friend Michael and pretty boy Kit. Netflix Coming so late in the year, Jentry and Invincible Fight Girl cant help but be viewed as scrappy upstarts. Theyre both cut from the same cloth, but the materials used in different ways: Invincibleis literally an underdog story that puts Andy through the wringer, mostly physically. She really does live up to the shows title as she endures several beatings by much more experienced opponents, only to get back up and dish it right back in what makes for some of the nicest, crunchiest animated action of the year. For the most part, things are lighthearted enough to play for the all-ages crowd, though it does occasionally flirt with heavier themes toward its second half. Those moments reverberate back to its wrestlers as they become reinvigorated to get back into the fight and give it their all, same as tales of shonen past. Any full exploration of this worlds darker side of wrestling seems to be understandably saved for future seasons.Conversely, Jentry feels more pitched toward a slightly older crowd. Its no stranger to some very impressive fights and consistent humor, but its strongest moments come when characters are forced to confront dark truths or unpack their own baggage, often with a crowd watching attentively. So much of the show is informed by Wu growing up as a second generation Chinese American teen in Texas, made apparent in an episode about Jentrys class becoming possessed by racist ghosts from the Alamo, or the shows brief exploration of Michael living as a second-gen Nigerian American. The shows not all about the immigrant experience, but that and its southern setting give it a considerably different energy than if it were set on the coast, and the town eventually feels like the real place it needs to be for Jentry to want to have a normal life here and not have her powers discovered. Whether youre in the mood to see a teenage pyrokinetic grapple with Chinese mythology and her family upbringing or a girl fight a gang of wrestlers with perms,Jentry Chau andInvincible Fight Girlare each well worth the watch. Both shows clearly had a lot of thought put into them by their respective creators, and you can tell Gordon-Montgomery and Wu gave everything they had and then some. (Jentryespecially carries the well-intentioned energy of something that would work perfectly fine as a film, but gets more room to breathe and just be as a 13-episode series.) Its a shame theyve come near the end of the year, as it feels like theyd have gotten more attention months prior. But heres hoping things work out in Andy and Jentrys favors, and we get more adventures with them both very soon. Want more io9 news? 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